The conventional use of a surfboard involves sitting or laying on the board while waiting for a wave, accelerating the board while catching the wave, generally occupying a kneeling or laying down position while doing so, and then standing freely on the board during the ride. Such control as the rider exerts is the consequence of his changing his stance and the location of his feet on the board to steer it along the face of the wave. Often there is no interconnection between the rider and the board. At the most, a leash may be attached to his leg and to the board to lessen his efforts in retrieving the board when he falls off of it.
These maneuvers are all spectacular enough, and provide risk and thrills enough for most riders. However, skills have now been developed in which actual aerobatics are performed during the ride. By this term is meant that the rider and his board leave the water and perform inversions such as turns and loops. This is a spectacular display of both artistry and skill, especially since the rider and the board must move as a single unit, without effective interconnection between them.
This relative "looseness" of rider and board constitutes a limitation on the class of maneuvers that can be undertaken. Some acceptable means to interlink the two would enable a much broader scope of aerobatic maneuvers.
But there is a limitation on this objective. A surfboard must be sat on, laid on, stood on, and ridden on without substantial impediment. A large bulky handle, for example, would be too much in the way. To be acceptable, a grip must have a low profile, be readily grasped, and generally be out of the way. Further, it should be attachable to the board by convenient means which do not require drilling or otherwise defacing the board.
This invention provides a suitable grip for these purposes.